Shailene Woodley is promoting Snowden, the Edward Snowden biopic, which is out this week. She plays Snowden’s girlfriend, Lindsay Mills. Shailene covers The Edit in a pair of ratty patchwork boyfriend jeans and a crop top with bell half sleeves. This 90s fashion invasion is probably going to get worse before it gets better, I’m just warning you. The editorial is full of simple, casual pieces, some of which look goofy together but it’s like they captured Woodley’s very chill essence. If anyone looks at home in 90s fashion, it’s her.
The interview is somewhat revealing and it goes a long way toward explaining Shailene’s personality. One of her parents is a psychologist, the other is a counselor and they used a lot of psychology tactics on Shailene and her brother. Shailene also describes how she got the role in Snowden opposite Joseph Gordon Levitt – by writing a letter to Oliver Stone. I always enjoy stories like that. She’s candid and she cares deeply about things and that makes for a good interview. As background, Shailene supported Bernie Sanders and most recently went to North Dakota to join the Native American activists working to stop the Dakota Access pipeline.
On writing a letter to Oliver Stone pitching herself
I just wasn’t on his radar. I don’t think he’d seen anything I’d done. I just wanted to sit down with him and say, as a young woman entering adulthood, thank you for making a movie that will change my life, and my peers’ lives. And thank you for doing it so soon. Really, there is no one else who could except Oliver Stone. It’d be easier 10 years from now.She met Snowden’s partner, who is a fitness instructor not a stripper
She had to deal with the fallout… Her life has changed dramatically because of a decision he made for the country…. Lindsay was a yoga and pole-dance instructor, and [the press] tore her apart [saying]: ‘Edward Snowden’s girlfriend is a stripper’. She was a fitness coach. At least when you’re an actor, you expect that kind of reporting, but she never signed up for it.On Hollywood changing women
The environment is incredibly unhealthy – women get a little skinnier, a little blonder, their lips get fuller, and it’s not a stereotype, it’s real, and it’s because there’s a mold they’re told they have to fit in order to stay relevant.On the privilege in Hollywood
I have a hard time having political conversations in Hollywood. Most people there are so privileged, they don’t see the 99% of America, because they don’t have to. It’s hard for people like that to see another perspective.On her family
My family is super-f***** up in many ways, but they are also my everything. They would do anything for me, and I would do anything for them.Her parents made her hug her brother outside for hours after they fought
The whole time you’re just seething, you’re disliking this person with so much energy, but if you let go you have to stay there for an extra hour. That was the kind of reverse, manipulative psychology my parents were into!” she laughs. “And there were times in school, when someone said something really mean, it would hurt my feelings, and my parents weren’t on my side. They would be like, ‘I’m so sorry you’re feeling this way, but what do you think that person was feeling?’ Oh, I hated it. Now, of course, I understand it.
My mom is a counselor so I could relate to this, although she never did anything that extreme to my brother or me. It’s frustrating when you recognize that they’re using a therapy technique on you but many of them do work. I’ve also come to really appreciate how well my mother listens to me and gives good advice. It goes both ways and you have to be willing to change.
As for Snowden’s girlfriend being a pole instructor, damn. I have taken pole classes and they’re hard. There’s a real athleticism required that I did not develop enough in the basic classes to continue. The fact that she’s an instructor really makes it seem unfair that the press branded her the way they did, not that there would have been anything wrong with her being a stripper it was just untrue.
Actress @ShaileneWoodley gets real about social media and politics. #THEEDIT https://t.co/HnpJy8L2EF pic.twitter.com/kvMJT0nDEt
— NET-A-PORTER (@NETAPORTER) September 15, 2016
Here’s Shailene at the premiere of Snowden in NY on Tuesday. The green dress is Prabal Gurung and it’s glam. She also got papped outside her hotel so she took the opportunity to hold signs in support of Standing Rock reservation against the oil pipeline.
photos credit: FameFlynet and The Edit
I really like what she said!!
She’s growin’ up! I’ve stopped using the P word, myself. I’m so white and privileged, I know no matter what I think I’m wrong about it. This is not a ‘woe is I’ statement, just the truth. Whatever I have believed to be true, always ends up being opposite. If I think I’m an ally, I probably need to work harder. That being said, I bet I’m closer to being a good person than most of Hollywood.
Love the dress
God, I hope I never did anything like that to my spawn. I know I use little psych tricks on them (and it makes them crazy), but if I made them hug each other for hours, there would probably be an uprising the likes of which we have never seen.
The closest I have ever come to anything like that is to make the Sixlets do the make friends, make friends pinkie rhyme. But in a break the tension by making them laugh way, not the hippy/counselling kind of way Shailene describes above.
Oh. It occurs to me that rhyme might be Britisher-only. Here’s James Corden doing it in Gavin & Stacey:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kpNKlV54ng
I grew up with that rhyme (I was born and raised in Ireland). Never thought of making the spawn do that. It’s a great idea.
It kinda works if you make it into a joke and camp it up because it makes them laugh and forget whatever sibling crossness had been going on.
Oh I’m breaking this out next time the kids need it!! Now I do make them hug but not for hours. My saying is we don’t hit, we hug. And then they have to hug it out. Keep in mind I’ve got a toddler…though I do say it to my young adult students too…
I’m also in the profession and find my training useful when parenting. At times, It makes me anxious because that knowledge brings more responsibility and a hyper awareness of dysfunctional behavior, on both the parent and the child’s side.
My daughter has told me the same thing that celebitchy said about her mother which made me sooooo happy.
Somehow, my spawn still rather like me, even at 14 and 16.
I’m liking her more and more. I used to think she was just another big talking actor who just wanted to sound smart and hip. But she really puts her money where her mouth is, it seems.
How can I trust a magazine’s advice in the “Denim Download” when that is what they chose to put on the cover?
I’ve made my kids hug, but never for hours. I wonder what the point of doing it for that long was?
Great interview. I’m back to liking her a lot. Also, the green dress looks fantastic on her! Love her new hair too.
She looks great in that green dress. And I love her hair darker hair.
As for the interview this was a great read. I’ve always liked Shailene even if she can annoy me at times. She always comes from a good place and extremely researched. I’d rather have more Shailenes in the world.
Love her! I have so much respect for her because she has become a part of the 7,ooo people, Indigenous and non-Indigenous who are up in the Standing Rock Sioux territory protecting the water. She isn’t making it about her, she’s just there lending her support.
If you want to join the world-wide protectors of water, here’s any easy way:
http://thefreethoughtproject.com/10-protest-dakota-access-pipeline/
#WaterisSacred
Agreed! thanks for the link Fifi.
She’s really kind of awesome, I like everything she said in this interview.
Sorry, but I can’t support anyone associated with this movie. Snowden was a low level IT guy who had no idea how SIGNIT works who stole documents he didn’t understand and handed them to Russia. Now Russia has crazy access to our government and is meddling with our elections. Anyone want to read about what a narcissist he is, I recommend John Schindler’s blog called 20 committee.
I don’t understand this argument. If you think Russia didn’t have most of the information that Snowden had then you grossly underestimate their intelligence capabilities.
The value of Snowden to them wasn’t his information but his reputation.
When Russia leaks something everybody ignores them, they love to have a reputable source confirm what they say.
True, he’s the decorative fancy frosting on the cake of Russia’s long time intelligence operations.
However, Snowden harking and quipping about freedom while living in one of the least free developed countries (ethnic minorities, workers, journalists, even politicians feel the wrath of the Russian government at whim; see also the policing nationalistic behaviour of the state sanctioned Nashi youth movement) does undermine him greatly.
I give Snowden a pass on being in Russia.
It is about the only country where he cannot be kidnapped from.
None of the Western countries offered him asylum. I am sure he would’ve greatly preferred the UK. But also none of the Western countries could guarantee his safety.
This point actually gets lost in the whole discussion – none of the Western countries could protect an American whistleblower. Their independence is questionable after this. Are they really independent and free to do what is right? I would say – no. But most people don’t even realize how not normal the whole situation is.
* housewives
I like her a lot. Sometimes she gets into moralizing which irritates people, but it comes from the right place.
SOUTH Dakota. 😉 She was in SD near the standing rock reservation. It is near ND, but is *in* SD.
Love the green dress pictures.
I refuse to believe that anything good comes from forcing children to express physical affection when they don’t want to. I’m grateful that my parents figured out how sensitive I am to touch when I was still a baby and were (and continue to be) sensitive to that fact, not forcing me to hug people. I practically got hives just reading that anecdote.
What an interesting young woman! I have read about her foraging food and water in the woods but that’s the only interview I remember. Does she have fake boobs though? Or just perfect natural ones? I am not judging, as I kind of want them myself, but it seems incongruous with her style!
If she thinks everyone in LA is privileged, she needs to expand her circle a little more.
I don’t live in L.A., but N.Y., and I agree with your sentiment.
In this interview, she also encourages exposing one’s vagina to the sun for Vitamin D (sounds like Gwyneth and her vaginal steaming) and also thinks a course should be taught to teach teenagers on how to pleasure themselves, so there’s that….
I see no problem with the teenagers course, esp if they added in healthy sexuality and healthy relationship topics.
5% of women never orgasm, and some of those could be helped with this. It’s also a ton easier to tell a partner what you like, if you know what you like.
The vitamin D thing was hilarious. More pigmented skin doesn’t convert vitamin D as quickly, but I guess there may be benefit when it comes to balancing the yeast and bacteria, and there is evidence that you should let it all breathe.
The privilege thing? Yeah. She obviously doesn’t volunteer at a women’s shelter or outreach space, but really not many do. I give her a statement solid pass. Grade B. She’s no Rowan, but she’s trying.
Detritus.
I have no issue with teenage women being educated about their bodies, sexuality and having a healthy self esteem.
I did not read the article, but read a synopsis in the paper. From what they reported, I think Woodley was implying that by teaching young women how to pleasure themselves, it would help in decreasing teenage pregnancy, and the spread of STD’s. So, I am not sure that I subscribe to that theory.
I do agree that if teenage girls were more comfortable with their bodies, and knew how to make themselves happy (so to speak), they might make better choices in picking men. Perhaps, they would also be less desperate to need a man to fulfill their sexual needs. But then again, for example, look at the Kardoucheians. Khloe once bragged about being able to pleasure herself, and look at her choices in men-LOL.
The vitamin D thing is quite silly because you could get skin cancer down there, if you do not protect it with SPF as the skin is very thin and delicate and one is shaved. So, I am not sure what she is implying is sound advice.
Sorry, that should have read “if one is shaved.” 😉
That was my thought too – she’s the one who comes across as entitled here, to say nothing of sheltered and existing inside of a very small bubble. I’m honestly kind of over actors who dismiss LA to show they’re “above it.” No matter where you live, you can find both interesting people (regardless of their level of entitlement or privilege) and you can find people who live within a bubble and don’t see another perspective.
As someone who lives in LA, one of the things I do like about this city is the number of interesting people I meet from all backgrounds, all of whom have a range of opinions and perspectives on the world.
Shailene is one of those young actresses I want to like (she supported Bernie!), but she consistently bugs me. She kind of strikes me as a female Jesse Eisenberg: a little too precocious for her own good and a little too convinced of her own superiority to other actors.
Elle, as a fellow Angeleno, I agree with you. I’d also point out to Shailene that there are a lot of poor people in LA. There’s a housing crisis. There’s uproar about gentrification. But if you never leave the Westside, how would you know? I remember watching Chelsea Handler drive through LA on her Netflix series, and she was shocked to see neighborhoods like MacArthur Park. Another time I saw her and Gwyneth Paltrow at an event in Glendale, and she said she’d never been there before. It is a middle-class suburb right outside of city limits. Anyway, I really do wonder where these folks spend time in the LA area. Apparently, it is in a very narrow part of the Westside, Calabasas and, if you’re a rebel, maybe Los Feliz. So, their perception of the city is complete skewed. LA is largely a city of folks struggling to make ends meet.
She didn’t say LA, she said “Hollywood.” I imagine the latter is filled with people who aren’t questioning their privileges.
She was kind of insufferable there for a while, but sounds a bit more mature here. All of that can’t be easy in the public eye. She does seem to care about things beyond herself, which is great.
Agreed. She used to bug me but I think a lot of it was down to her age. I’m sure I sounded not much different at her age.
She looks stunning in that green dress. That haircut and colour really suits her.
Maybe she has a hard time talking to people because they don’t pass her purity test. She was as insufferable as Rosario Dawson was during the Dem. Primary. If she could act, I would call her the next Susan Sarandon.
I have a hard time listening to Matt Damon (and others like him) talk about stuff like income inequality.